Dr. Candida Sanchez Burmester

Biography

Candida Sanchez Burmester is a PhD student at Maastricht University, focusing on the intersection of historical and ethnographic methods within her research on the controversies surrounding nanobiology. She investigates how nanoparticles enter cells and provides insight into discussions at nanobio-conferences through laboratory ethnography, observing teams of scientists who replicate significant experiments. By utilizing archival conference material, Sanchez Burmester contextualizes these discussions historically while tracing the developmental roots of nanotoxicology. As part of her PhD, she is involved in teaching courses related to Science and Technology Studies and is supervised by notable academics including Prof. Dr. Cyrus Mody and Dr. Willem Halffman. Her research is a crucial component of the European Research Council-funded Synergy project titled ‘NanoBubbles: how, when and why does science fail to correct itself?’, which explores the emergence and popularity of contested claims in nanobiology and aims to encourage open scientific debates regarding contradictory evidence. In 2024, she will serve as a Short-Term Fellow at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia. Sanchez Burmester's academic interests extend into various fields including the history of science, epistemic diversity, environmental humanities, and university-industry relations, alongside personal pursuits in hiking, traditional Karate, and Latin American music genres.

Research Interests

Experience